Oven with slide-out transfer guides

Abstract

An oven with slide-out transfer guides is provided for use in conjunction with multiple conveyors ovens to provide quick and convenient accessibility to an oven's interior in case of product transfer difficulties. A slidable rail assembly is mounted in the oven, which also has an access port for transfer guide egress and ingress, and a transfer guide with opposed lips forming a slot which mounts the transfer guide on the rail assembly. When access to the oven's interior is necessary to remedy a product transfer problem, the oven of the present invention allows the transfer guide to slide along the rail while still supported by same, and said transfer guide can be partially removed from said oven without the need to turn off the oven. In this way, obstructions can be cleared quickly without significant down time, thereby saving the user both time and expense.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An improved oven having a plurality of generally horizontal conveyers spaced vertically and rotating alternately in opposite directions to define a serpentine path from an entrance at a first end of an uppermost conveyor to an exit at a lowermost conveyor, said conveyors comprised of endless belts mounted on rollers disposed between opposed first and second walls, at least one of said rollers driving said belt, said conveyors used to transport items along said serpentine path from said entrance to said exit, said improvement comprising: a transfer guide spaced from a conveyor and having a curved receiving surface for receiving items exiting a first conveyor and for transferring said items to an adjacent lower conveyor, said transfer guide further comprising mounting bracket means for mounting said transfer guide in said oven;   support beam means mounted within said oven and cooperating with said mounting bracket means to slidably support said transfer guide while permitting said transfer guide to slide horizontally into and out of said oven; and   a transfer guide access port on said first wall sized to receive said transfer guide therethrough and aligned with said transfer guide, said access port further comprising a closing means for closing said access port.   
     
     
       2. An improved oven having a plurality of continuously moving conveyors defining a path for transporting objects therein, said conveyers spaced vertically and communicating objects from a first conveyer to a next lower conveyer using a gravity assisted transfer guide with a curved surface positioned for receiving said object, said transfer guide depositing said object on said next lower conveyer, said improvement comprising; first and second mounting brackets fixed on said transfer guide at an upper surface and extending longitudinally along said transfer guide, said first mounting bracket and said second mounting bracket comprising opposed lips spaced from and generally parallel to said upper surface and cooperating to define a slot therebetween;   vertical support means for vertically supporting said transfer guide in said oven comprising a beam adapted to mate with said slot of said transfer guide and support said transfer guide thereon in a horizontal slidable relationship, said beam mounted in said oven and extending generally a width of said oven parallel to said transfer guide to define a sliding track, and beam mounting means for mounting said beam in said oven; and   an oven access port positioned adjacent to said transfer guide and adapted to receive said transfer guide therethrough.   
     
     
       3. A slidably transfer guide and support assembly for an oven having a plurality of generally horizontal conveyers spaced vertically and rotating alternatingly in opposite directions to define a serpentine path from an entrance at a first end of an uppermost conveyor to an exit at a lowermost conveyor, said conveyors comprised of endless belts mounted on rollers disposed between opposed first and second walls, at least one of said rollers driving said belt, said conveyors used to transport items along said serpentine path from said entrance to said exit, said slidably transfer guide and support assembly comprising: a transfer guide spaced from a first conveyor and having a curved front surface adapted to receive said items exiting said first conveyor and communicate said item to a second conveyor spaced vertically from said first conveyor;   a handle mounted on said transfer guide at a first side surface;   first and second mounting brackets fixed on said transfer guide at an upper surface and extending longitudinally along said transfer guide, said first mounting bracket and said second mounting bracket comprising opposed lips spaced from and generally parallel to said upper surface and cooperating to define a slot therebetween;   transfer guide slide inhibiting means fixed on said slot at a first end for positioning said slide within said oven;   transfer guide rail means for supporting said transfer guide and defining a slidable linear track into and out of said oven for said transfer guide, said transfer guide rail means comprising a suspending beam member adapted to slidably mount said transfer guide thereon at said slot, and bracket support means for mounting said transfer guide rail means within said oven; and   an oven access port positioned adjacent to said transfer guide and adapted to receive said transfer guide therethrough.